THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. in 
them. When it came to Ras Michael to give his vote, he 
affected moderation ; he faid that he was accufed for being 
his enemy and accomplice; in either cafe, it is not fair 
that he fhould judge him. No fuperior officer being pre- 
fent, the laft voice remained with the king, who fent Kal 
Hatzé to the Board with his fentence; ‘He is guilty and 
frall die the death.—The hangman foall hang him upon a tree 
to-day. The unfortunate Acab Saat was immediately hur- 
ried away by the guards to the place of execution, which is 
a large tree before the king’s gate; where uttering, to the 
very laft moment, curfes againft the king, the Ras, and the 
Abuna, he fuffered the death he very richly deferved, 
being hanged in the very veftments in which he ufed to 
fit before the king, without one ornament of ney civil or 
facerdotal pre-eminence. having been taken from him 
before the execution. In going to the tree he faid he had 
400 COWS, which he bequeathed to fome priefts to fay prayers 
for his foul; but the Ras ordered them to bé brought to 
Gondar, and diftributed among his foldiers. 
‘Tuave entered into a longer detail of this trial, at the 
whole of which I affifted, the rather that I might afk this 
‘queftion of thofe that maintain the abfolute independence of 
the Abyflinian priefthood, Whether, if the many inftances 
already mentioned have not had the effe&, this one does 
' not fully convince them, that all ecclefiaftical perfons are 
fubject to the fecular power in Abyflinia as much as they 
are in Britain or any European Proteftant ftate whatever? 
CuremaTion, Socinios’s brother, wes néxt called, he 
feemed half dead with fear; he only denied having any 
<oncern in his brother being elected king. He faid he 
had 
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